Itea virginica (Virginia sweetspire) blooms in May or June and should be pruned shortly thereafter. Use clean pruning tools.

Begin by removing any dead, diseased or broken branches from the base. Then, if you are pruning to contain size or control shape of the plant, you can cut back branches to just above a bud or to the lower branch from which it grows. To prune for plant vigor, cut back older branches to the base of the plant in a balanced distribution. In either case, remove no more than a third of the branch structure.

There is more information on pruning available in our guide Pruning: an Introduction.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information